


The Doc and The Lion: A Fairytale

by kiki_92



Category: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Video Games)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fairy Tale Curses, Fairy Tale Retellings, Kissing, M/M, no beta we die like (wo)men, the beauty and the beast - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26342587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiki_92/pseuds/kiki_92
Summary: A Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it's DocLion (and Ace as Gaston)
Relationships: Olivier "Lion" Flament/Gustave "Doc" Kateb
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42





	The Doc and The Lion: A Fairytale

**Author's Note:**

> I procrastinated writing my WIP and instead I wrote this. I did try to make it sound like a fairytale, so the style might be a bit different from my usual, tho!
> 
> Based on [this](https://r6shippingdelivery.tumblr.com/post/628409376396427265/ngl-i-like-the-idea-just-one-thing-who-would) post from Tumblr xD

Once upon a time, a spoiled prince had a night of passion with one of the servants in his castle. He made her think they were in love, but when she told him she was pregnant, he told her to leave the castle. Heartbroken and enraged, the servant made a deal with a witch: her unborn son in exchange for getting revenge.

A few nights later, an old traveller knocked on the castle’s door. The woman asked for shelter, since a storm raged outside, offering a rose as payment. The prince denied her request. The king and queen always made it very clear that nobility shouldn’t mix with the common folk, and the prince didn’t want to displease them further, especially after they learnt of his affair with the servant.

After hearing the prince’s words, the old woman started laughing maniacally, and revealed herself to be a witch. Unimpressed by the prince’s disgusted reaction, denouncing her as a demon worshipper, she cast a curse on the entire castle. The dashing and arrogant prince got turned into a terrible half-human beast, the servants into animals. 

“You won’t be a Beast anymore if you find true love,” the witch told him.

Next morning the King and Queen fled the summer court and went back to the capital, leaving the prince behind; because who could love a monster?

_ _ _

In a quaint little village there lived an old soldier and his four children. They were all grown up, even if their father still called them his little rascals, reminding them how much he loved them before parting to war once again. He promised gifts when he returned, yet none of them were happy to see their old father go. However, they all had their duties and were determined to make their father proud when he returned. 

The two youngest ones, Emmanuelle and Julien, spent their days inventing wild contraptions that one day would make them famous. The eldest, Gilles, was the shield that protected their village from raiders and bandit attacks. And the middle child, Gustave, was the local healer.

“Ah, monsieur Porter,” Gustave greeted his new patient. “What’s the problem?”

“My back’s killing me, doc,” Porter said, walking slowly towards the empty stool, and sat on it. “I had a log tossing competition with Seamus and I think I pulled something. Never again.”

Mentally counting to ten before speaking, lest he mumbled something about drunk idiots searching to prove something about their masculinity, Gustave sighed and directed Porter to take off his shirt. There wasn’t much to do, except rub some ointment and make sure his patient understood he needed rest and to not put stress on his back.

Gustave was still lecturing Porter about being on his best behaviour for the next few days if he wanted his back to heal, when his apprentice barged in.

“Hi, my name’s Håvard, I’ll be your saviour today.” That was delivered alongside a roguish smile, the kind that had -at the bare minimum- half the village sighing longingly. Gustave grit his teeth to not reply something rude.

There were moments -lots of moments- when he dearly regretted picking Håvard as his apprentice. It was not because the man was inept, no; he did the job well enough. But he was a showoff with an inflated opinion of himself, and often he seemed more focused on charming the patients and looking pretty than in being of help.

Rubbing the ointment on Porter’s back took a good deal of flexing and posing, for whom though, Gustave had no idea. Eventually, Håvard finished and Porter was replaced by other patients. All minor issues, yet the visits dragged on longer than necessary because of Håvard’s antics. Once they finished, Gustave gave a silent prayer in thanks, eager to go home and, most importantly, get away from Håvard. The latter had other plans, though.

“Gustave, it’s time you took a break from all this work and taking care of your family,” Håvard said, casually stepping in front of him and blocking his path. “You could walk with me to the tavern, my adoring fans are waiting to know how I saved that little kid’s leg. You’d look so dashing holding onto my arm while I finish the story!”

“Maybe some other time,” Gustave rolled his eyes, subtlety be damned. He didn’t hesitate to push Håvard to the side and continue on his way home. It wasn’t the first time Håvard told this same story, and every retelling was more grandiloquent than the last. 

When he arrived at the family house, he saw their father’s horse, and rushed inside to see him. The old man hugged Gustave tightly, a warm welcome as he gave to all his kids, yet he didn’t look happy.

“Papa, what’s wrong?” Emmanuelle asked, always the most daring of the siblings.

“I was returning from the battle,” Jalal explained to his family, “when I took a wrong turn. I thought I was hopelessly lost, but then I found a palace in the middle of the woods. It looked empty, and I walked along its sumptuous gardens, watching in dismay the platters of fruit set on the outdoor table. As the hours went by and nobody appeared, I ate some fruit, until my guilt was too much. Before leaving, I picked a rose to bring you all as a gift, since I thought one flower would not be missed. I was wrong.”

“As I made my way back, a growling voice startled me from behind, _‘Who said you could eat my food and rob my garden?’_ ”

“It was a terrible beast, half-human, half-lion, and it was furious. I tried to explain my actions, that I meant no harm and only picked the flower as a gift for my family. However, there was a glint in the Beast’s eyes when he heard that.”

“ _‘Very well, send one of your children to me in exchange for the rose. Should you refuse, you’ll pay in blood.’_ ”

“And it was only when I accepted that it let me leave,” Jalal finished his tale, looking at the floor in shame of the deal he struck.

Gustave’s siblings cried in outrage at the Beast’s demands, arguing between them about whether it was better to accept or fight back, and Gustave knew there was only a way he could keep pace with the dangerous creature and know his family was safe.

“I’ll go,” he volunteered.

_ 

The next morning Gustave delivered himself to the Beast’s palace. It was easy to find following his father’s instructions, since he refused to let the poor man make the journey again only to give him up. He knew his father would have ended up doing something foolish, like trying to fight the Beast, or offering his life in payments instead. Therefore, Gustave went alone, leaving only a goodbye note for his family.

The palace was certainly impressive, as impressive as he imagined. However, Gustave failed to be impressed by the Beast. While his appearance wasn’t human, he looked like an overgrown cat rather than a demonic monster. Yet that didn’t mean Gustave didn’t hate him. The Beast’s welcome had been cordial enough, he couldn’t deny that, but it was because of him that Gustave was here. Because the Beast had threatened his family. He would never forget that.

“You will dine with me,” the Beast informed him. Not a request, but a demand. Bristling in annoyance at his attitude, Gustave nodded in agreement, and followed the castle owner.

Dinner was a tense affair, saved only by the admittedly delicious food the Beast sent on his way, insisting Gustave had to try this or that morsel. However, the conversation was stilted at best, non-existent at worst. After a while, Gustave couldn’t hold back any longer and asked the Beast what he was playing at.

“I’m merely trying to see if you’d make a good spouse.”

That was the last straw for him, and Gustave dumped his glass of wine on the Beast’s head. His furious roar echoed in the room, but Gustave didn’t even flinch. “Listen here, you Lion, I’m here because you threatened my father’s life if one of us wasn’t delivered here at your mercy. I’m your prisoner, and I will not forget nor forgive that. Ever. I will never be your spouse.”

For a moment he thought Lion would yell at him, maybe roar again, or throw his own glass of wine at him too. In the end, he just left, slamming the door on his way out and leaving Gustave alone and confused.

_

Soon Gustave settled into his new routine: he had most of the day for himself, free to explore as much as he wanted, as long as he didn’t leave the palace grounds. The late evenings they would spend together, at Lion’s insistence to have dinner in the great hall. They didn’t argue again, but it was because they barely talked to each other.

While the gardens were full of splendor and vibrant colours, Gustave’s favorite place was the library. He loved the peace and quiet in there, as well as the opportunity to read some unique books he was sure he wouldn’t find anywhere else. During one of his exploratory walks, he found the castle’s chapel. Lion was inside, praying. Gustave wanted to leave and let him to his prayers, but then Lion rose his head and pinned him with one of his glares.

“I never imagined a cursed creature like you would be so pious,” Gustave said, partly out of curiosity, partly out of anger at his captor.

“I pray for strength in following the right path, and for answers to break the curse.”

Gustave scoffed. “You’ll do better hearing what people have to say than kneeling for hours in an empty room.”

Lion didn’t reply, staring oddly at him, and Gustave slipped away. After that incident, he avoided the chapel. Gustave also found some animals around the castle, and he often brought them scraps of food. Later, Lion would laugh and inform him those were the palace servants, but Gustave refused to feel foolish for his actions, especially since they made for better company than Lion himself.

Days turned into weeks, and the first snows of the year fell. Gustave worried for his family and the village, but didn’t ask Lion to let him go check on them. He was certain Lion’s answer would be no, since he stubbornly insisted Gustave could do what he wanted, as long as he didn’t leave. So Gustave fretted in silence.

This fragile peace between the healer and the beast was tested one cold evening. Gustave was taking a stroll through the snowed gardens, admiring its pristine beauty, when he heard the howls echoing in the forest. However, what chilled his blood were the faint cries for help, which he was sure belonged to his sister. Without hesitation, he ran to the estables, got his horse, and rode towards the cries of distress and the howling wolves.

In the center of the forest, he found a scene that nearly made his heart stop: his poor sister Emmanuelle, surrounded by a pack of wolves, and trembling from the cold as she stumbled through the snow covered ground. Gustave dashed to rescue her, but the wolves scared his horse to the point it threw Gustave off the saddle. Reunited again in such a desperate situation, both siblings huddled together, ready to defend each other from the encroaching wolves as best as they could. 

Just as it seemed the situation was hopeless, and they both would die here and now, something came from between the trees and lunged against the nearest wolf. Emmanuelle screamed in fear, but Gustave recognised the shape of their saviour and the roars of pain as more wolves joined the fight.

It was over as quickly as it started, and Lion barely had time to step away from the dead wolves before he collapsed on the snow too.

After that night, something changed between Gustave and Lion. The Beast had saved his and his sister’s lives, yet Gustave had returned the favor when he brought Lion back to the castle, instead of leaving him in the forest and running away with his sister. He knew she would be fine, but Lion wouldn’t. Now without his help.

Gustave, being a healer as he was, nursed Lion back to health, and the cutting iciness between them melted just as the snow outside did too. Perhaps it was out of mutual gratitude, or because they had been spending more time in each other’s company, but Gustave wasn’t filled by disgust anymore when he saw Lion, or thought of him. 

As their fondness for each other grew, tentative and fragile like a crystal ornament, Gustave started to find small gifts for him. Fresh roses on his room every evening, a book laid out for him on the library’s reading table (and wasn’t it curious, it always was about some subject he had expressed interest during one of his and Lion’s nightly conversations), a new winter cloak, fit for a prince; and many other presents. 

Lion never outright asked him if he liked those gifts, but he would look almost happy when he saw Gustave reading one of the selected books, or when he wore the new cloak during his walks in the garden. Gustave supposed this was the closest he would get to an admission of who was behind these gestures, but it was clear enough. This might not have been the life Gustave would have chosen himself, but he was content enough now. The palace no longer was a prison in his eyes, and Lion went from terrifying captor to something akin to a friend, almost.

However, as autumn gave way to winter, Gustave’s melancholy increased. He barely talked, barely ate, and would stare out of the library’s windows for hours instead of finding joy in the books as he did before.

“What’s wrong, Gustave?” Lion asked him, worried. “Have I angered you again?”

“I wish I could see my family again,” Gustave answered.

Silence descended upon them, until Lion put his massive clawed hand over Gustave’s and said, “Very well, go visit your family. But please come back within the week, else I might die from the grief of crushing loneliness.”

Thinking him a tad melodramatic, yet moved by his gesture and not wanting to cause him further anguish, Gustave thanked Lion and agreed to return before the week was over.

_ 

The reunion with his family was a joyful one, his father and siblings relieved to see the Beast had not harmed him. Gustave laughed at the idea of Lion harming him, since he had risked his life to save both him and Emmanuelle, and all he did when they argued was roar loudly and go away in a huff. Relieved by Gustave’s tales, the whole family enjoyed their time together.

All too soon, the week was nearly over, and Gustave decided to have a drink in the tavern as a goodbye, before leaving again. They arrived in the middle of one of Håvard’s stories, this time concerning how he saved a poor maiden from a pack of wolves, and-

“You didn’t save me!” Emmanuelle cut him off, annoyed instead of starstruck like she used to be at his stories. “You just found me on the road, when I was almost home already! It was the Beast who saved both me and Gustave.”

Håvard didn’t seem very concerned with her outraged correction, staring instead at Gustave like he had seen a ghost.

“My lovely Gustave, you’re free at last!” Håvard grabbed his hand, like Lion had done last time they spoke, but unlike then, Gustave refused the contact. “Last I heard you were a prisoner of a dangerous beast, I feared so much for you. How did you escape?”

“Lion is not dangerous,” Gustave explained, he was just annoying sometimes. Yet even thinking of their most recent arguments didn’t ignite anger in him, just a sort of exasperated fondness and a desire to see him again. It was with great surprise that Gustave realised he missed Lion. “And I’m not a prisoner, I’m going back out of my own volition.”

Nobody except his family looked convinced at Gustave’s words, but after talking and talking about Lion and the palace, and how he saved them from the wolves, and that one time they played with snowballs, people started losing interest in the issue. They had been expecting gruesome tales of the Beast, not anecdotes of a domestic life.

When Gustave insisted it was time for him to leave, Håvard insisted on accompanying him. No amount of excuses would deter him, since he argued the forest wasn’t safe at night. Hating that Håvard was right, Gustave agreed to having him as his escort, and resigned himself to spending a little more time in the company of the pompous fool. The feeling of unease didn’t abate, and in fact it only grew stronger when Håvard made the horses stop all of sudden, in the middle of the woods. A group of people came from behind the trees, carrying torches and farming implements with them.

“Håvard, what’s the meaning of this? What’s going on?” Gustave demanded.

“Why, I think it’s clear enough: I’m going to vanquish the fearsome Beast!” Håvard declared. “These nice people will be there to witness my triumph and the bards will immortalise it in songs.”

The blood on Gustave’s veins turned to ice when he heard that, and his agitation only increased when Håvard’s friends tied him to a tree, to keep him safe, Håvard said before disappearing into the night.

Anger bloomed inside Gustave; at being tied to a tree, at Håvard’s ridiculous notions, at himself for not trusting his instincts and not refusing company for the journey. Lion was in danger, and it was his fault. He desperately tried to escape his bonds, but the rope cut into his skin the more he tried to free himself. 

A flock of birds came to Gustave, ones he recognised from having seen them before, since they lived in the castle too. The birds pecked away at the ropes restraining him, and soon Gustave was free. He ran like the wind, hoping he would arrive at the castle before it was too late. Gustave would never forgive himself if something happened to Lion.

He arrived in time to see Håvard and the mob following him cornering Lion against the castle’s wall. Lion wasn’t even fighting back, just looking resigned to his fate. Or he was, until he was Gustave running towards them and yelling at everyone to stop acting like idiots. Only then Lion fought back, and all it took was a swipe of his clawed hand to send Håvard flying away, colliding against a tree. The angry mob surely would have attacked Lion, if it wasn’t for Gustave placing himself in front of him like a human shield.

“Stop! He’s not dangerous, no more than any of us!” Gustave yelled at the angry men holding torches, poised to strike at any moment. “You attacked him in his home, without provocation. You should be ashamed of your beastly behaviour! He’s more honorable and kind than you, and certainly a better man then Håvard. And I won’t tolerate any other attack against my future husband!”

Gustave’s angry tirade was met with stunned silence, and only then he realised what he just said. Turning around to look at Lion, he met his eyes. “You once tried to assess if I’d be a suitable spouse, and I denied you. I would like to accept, if you still want me.”

Lion’s answer came in the form of a crushing hug, which Gustave eagerly returned. He didn’t understand the crowd’s gasps of surprise until Lion stepped back, and instead of that beastly face he grew used to, a handsome man was staring back at Gustave. The curse had been broken, since the prince found love. Since he wasn’t a beast no longer, the mob put down the makeshift weapons and slowly dispersed, eager to flee the awkward atmosphere, since they had threatened their prince.

Gustave and his now human Lion married and lived happily ever after.

The End.

#### ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Lion finished the tale and looked at the bed, hoping to find the little girl already asleep. No such luck, she was watching him attentively, likely pondering the story he just spun for her. When they agreed to babysit Zofia’s kid, so she could enjoy a night out with her husband, Lion didn’t imagine putting a child to sleep would entail so much work.

“What happened with the bad guy?” She asked, leaning forward eagerly. “Did the beast kill him?”

While the petty, vindictive side of Lion wanted to say yes, maybe as payback for having to endure Ace’s post-mission selfie session a few days back, he felt that might be a bit too much. Not that fairytales weren’t usually bloody, but Lion wasn’t sure if Zofia would approve of a story where he made one of their coworkers the bad guy only to kill him off.

“Uh, no. He woke up with a headache and was very upset because nobody was paying him attention anymore.”

“Oh,” she looked vaguely disappointed, but it soon passed and she was back with the questions. “But the prince can see his family again! Did they go to the wedding? And what happened to the prince’s son?”

Those hit a bit too close home for Lion’s comfort, although he supposed he was entirely to blame for making the story like that. He was rescued from answering when Doc coughed politely from the doorstep.

“That’s a story for another night. Now’s time to sleep.”

She pouted, but Doc wouldn’t budge, and soon she was tucked in bed and ready to sleep. Lion made a mental note to ask Doc how he did it, because when Lion tried, he ended up telling her a story instead. Maybe he wasn’t as good at parenting as Doc apparently was, but this babysitting stint made him more aware of how many moments of Alexis’ life he had missed.

Probably sensing his change of mood, as soon as they stepped into the corridor, Doc said, “You know, I’m a little disappointed with that ending.”

Oh no, how much did Doc actually hear of the story? Refusing to feel embarrassed, Lion looked at him with an arched eyebrow, daring him to go on. Of course, Doc didn’t back down from the unspoken challenge.

“I thought in fairy tales a kiss of true love was usually required to break a curse. But all they got was a hug.”

“You’re right, I should fix that.”

He grabbed Doc’s waist, bringing him closer for a kiss. It probably wasn’t the kind of epic kiss one imagined when thinking of fairy tales, since it happened in the corridor of their small apartment, and Doc was wearing those hideous bunny slippers Rook gifted him last Christmas. There were no dramatic declarations of love either, nor did this come at the heels of an epic battle. It was just familiar and sweet, a silent token of affection and comfort, followed by Doc’s chuckle when Lion proclaimed this was a far better ending, indeed.

Fin.

**Author's Note:**

> You can say hi and see what I'm currently up to on [my tumblr](http://r6shippingdelivery.tumblr.com/) or even on [my twitter](https://twitter.com/kikipeachywitch) !


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